S.Kannan in Paris
The great Indian tennis dream went bust at the Roland Garros late on Sunday. After Sumit Nagal had lost in singles, Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji faced tons of pressure against a French pair – Gael Monfils and Edouard-Roger Vessselin — on the outside courts. The Roland Garros resembled a Davis Cup theatre where local fans lent full support to the Frenchmen for a 7-5, 6-2 win in the first round at Paris 2024 Olympics.
In the first place, when the match got postponed from Saturday due to rains, things became a bit bleak for the Indian pair. To have waited till late evening on Sunday was also stressful but the Indians had no excuses, really, to offer.
Everyone knows how well Bopanna has fared in the ATP Tour and Grand Slams this season. The Olympics is about pressure and passion, where the big pro Monfils and seasoned Vesselin showed plenty of variety. It may be tempting to say, the Indian duo “flopped” if you are insensitive.
However, at 44, for Bopanna to keep his Olympic dream alive till Paris was great. Memories from 2016 Rio still exist, where he and Sania Mirza lost the mixed doubles bronze medal playoff match, against Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hrdaceka.
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In the build-up to Paris, Rohan Bopanna had opted for Balaji as partner and the two had trained together. But then, at a famous venue where they have played the French Open, to fire on all cylinders was not easy. Indeed, the tennis field at the Olympics is a very difficult one. For Bopanna to have played three Olympics in 2012 London, 2016 Rio and now Paris 2024 at the age of 44 is a good run. What is indeed worrying is who are the next set of stars from Indian tennis.
Nagal is personally upset that he is not winning more than three matches in the ATP Tour. He knows he has to work harder and become more consistent.
For those who think Bopanna was playing for his own glory, do not say anything like this. His qualification for Paris was a difficult one and he has been fighting to stay fit. The tall Coorgi is also grooming players for the next generation. Salute him for that. So what if he has not won an Olympic medal, he has tried really hard. Level 44 as he says.